NEW YORKReconstruction and recovery needs in Gaza are estimated to require $53 billion, according to the Gaza and West Bank Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (IRDNA) released on Tuesday.
The report analyzes damages and losses as well as recovery and reconstruction needs across almost all sectors of the Palestinian economy based on data from October 2023-October 2024.
The report, jointly produced by the World Bank Group, the United Nations and the European Union, puts forward a roadmap for sequencing recovery efforts along with their associated costs in the short and medium term.
A UN report earlier estimated that recovery and reconstruction needs in the Gaza Strip would amount to more than $53 billion, with short-term needs in the first three years reaching $20.568 billion.
“The report estimates the recovery and reconstruction needs in the short, medium and long term across the Gaza Strip at $53.142 billion. Of these, the near-term needs in the first three years are estimated to be around $20.568 billion,” said the report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
According to damage assessments conducted by the UN Satellite Center (UNOSAT) last month, as of December 1, nearly 69% of the buildings in the Gaza Strip were damaged or destroyed, totaling 170,812 buildings.
The UN health organization also stated that only 18 out of 36 hospitals (50%) are operating “partially,” with a total bed capacity of 1,800.
As of December 1, UNICEF reported that at least 496 schools were damaged, representing nearly 88% of the 564 registered facilities. Among these, 396 schools were directly hit by bombardment.
According to images taken by UNOSAT on September 26, 2024, 68% of the agricultural land in the Gaza Strip, equivalent to 103 square kilometers, was damaged due to the war.
In the North Gaza Governorate, the percentage of damaged agricultural land reached 79%, and in Rafah Governorate, it was 57%.
Destruction has affected agricultural assets (including irrigation systems, livestock farms, orchards, machinery, and storage facilities), with damage estimates ranging from 80% to 96% as of early 2024, according to a report published by the UN Conference on Trade and Development last September.
Regarding the road network, the damage percentage reached approximately 68% of the total roads in the Gaza Strip, with a total of 1,190 kilometers destroyed, according to a “preliminary analysis” conducted by UNOSAT on August 18.
